This invention relates to a remote control device such as a telecontrol system or a telecontroller by means of which various command signals can be transmitted from outside through a telephone line to control the operation of electrical devices in the house where the signals are received. In particular, the present invention relates to such a remote control device which automatically answers the caller if there is no person to take the call and controls the operation of electrical apparatus such as a video tape recorder or an air conditioner according to the caller's command.
Conventional remote control devices making use of a telephone line to transmit a caller's command signals are generally comprised of an automatic answering device which automatically responds to an incoming call and a controlling device which controls, according to the command signals which have been received, the operation of various apparatus in the house where the call is received. More in detail, the automatic answering device responds to an incoming call and transmits a prepared response message to the caller and the caller, upon receiving this response message, transmits a control signal defined for a particular mode of operation. The control signal is interpreted by the controlling device which controls the apparatus according to the signal thus interpreted. With a conventional remote control device of this type, the user must transmit a command exactly at the time when it is desired to control an apparatus in the house. In other words, the desired operation cannot be performed unless a telephone is accessible to the user at the crucial moment, or if the user forgets to make the call.